麻豆社

Daljit Nagra revisits the 麻豆社's poetry archive and selects Poetry Workshop - Close by Carol Ann Duffy.

And Daljit chooses his Poetry Extra Book of the Month: Belief Systems by Tamar Yoselof.

Ruth Padel works with a group of poets who meet at Stalybridge Station buffet bar in Manchester. Testing their poems as they go, in a spirit of supportive criticism; tough love for poems.

Poetry Workshops are gathering all over the country. In the back rooms of pubs like this one, and in libraries and in front rooms, poets meet to sharpen their verse.
Ruth and the group work on three very different poems on the theme of 'journeys' - both symbolic and actual.

One poem takes us to Zante via Watford Gap, one considers perspective and scale from on high, whilst another has a much darker tone. The group will pay particular attention this week to metaphor.

The group consider the use of metaphor in their poems that are touching, funny and perceptive. Ruthless support is applied as they chuck out each other's words and test and prune as they go.

They discuss the techniques, inspiration, wordplay and imagination that make poetry so enjoyable and rewarding. As well as working on their own poems, they also consider a poem by Carol Ann Duffy called Close.

Producer: Sarah Langan

First broadcast on 麻豆社 Radio 4 in 2012.